US Pays $160 Million of Outstanding Dues to UN

The United States has paid $160 million toward its outstanding dues to the United Nations, marking the first such contribution since President Donald Trump returned to office, according to a UN spokesperson.

The payment, made last week, represents a small portion of nearly $2 billion owed by Washington to the UN’s regular budget. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric confirmed the contribution was applied as a partial settlement of arrears.

The United States traditionally covers 22% of the UN’s regular budget. However, under the Trump administration, foreign aid spending has been reduced and Washington has withdrawn from several global bodies, including 31 UN-affiliated entities, citing concerns that some operate contrary to U.S. national interests.

Current U.S. arrears total roughly $1.2 billion, in addition to a $767 million assessment for 2026. It remains unclear whether Washington intends to settle the full outstanding balance.

The unpaid contributions have exacerbated the UN’s financial strain. In January, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all member states to meet their financial obligations, warning the organization faces the risk of a “near-term financial collapse” and could run out of funds as early as July.

The latest U.S. payment accounts for less than 7% of the total owed prior to the transfer, underscoring the limited scale of the move. Nevertheless, it signals at least a modest degree of engagement with an institution Trump has frequently criticized.

Instead of deepening engagement with the UN system, Trump has promoted his own “Peace Council,” which held its first formal meeting Thursday. Initially conceived to oversee post-war governance in Gaza, the council has been framed by Trump as a potential alternative mechanism to the United Nations, suggesting it could function as a supervisory body to ensure more effective management.

While Washington declined to pay its mandatory $826 million contribution to the UN’s 2025 regular budget, the Trump administration pledged in December to provide $2 billion to the UN’s humanitarian arm, highlighting a selective approach to multilateral funding.